1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display device. Particularly, the present invention relates to a display device having an automatic adjustment mode for adjusting brightness of a screen in accordance with the ambient brightness, and a manual adjustment mode for adjusting brightness of the screen based on a manually-set value. The present invention also relates to an imaging apparatus using the display device.
2. Description of Related Art
Today, many digital video cameras have a liquid crystal display section. A user can check the image being taken on the liquid crystal display section. Moreover, images based on the data recorded on a recording medium can be displayed on the liquid crystal display section. When a back light of the liquid crystal display section has a constant brightness regardless of the ambient brightness, occasionally it is hard to see the images in a bright place outdoors because the brightness of the liquid crystal display section is insufficient, and it is hard to see the images in a dark place indoors because the liquid crystal display section is too bright.
JP 9 (1997)-65181 A discloses a technique for adjusting the brightness of a back light in accordance with ambient brightness. In a display section of an imaging apparatus of this invention, luminance signals for one screen are integrated, and the brightness (an Ev value (an exposure value)) of a subject is calculated from the integrated value of the luminance signals, positional information of an iris, etc. The back light is controlled based on the Ev value.
Some display devices have a manual adjustment mode that allows a user to specify the brightness of a screen so that the user can set the screen brightness of his/her preference regardless of the ambient brightness. Some display devices have both of the automatic adjustment mode for adjusting the brightness of the screen in accordance with the ambient brightness, and the manual adjustment mode allowing a user to specify the brightness of the screen.